Tao of Poker

Wacky Saturday Party

"Leisure is the mother of philosophy." - Thomas Hobbes

Another day at the crowded tables on Party Poker. Congrats to Boy Genius who made the money in this morning's $5 Multi. Both our brothers played and were knocked out early. I played too and was booted out in 373th, in a tough tourney when I didn't get any hands. I was shocked that I lasted that long.

I had a mediocre afternoon at the tables. Played a little bit NL with Maudie and Al Can't Hang. I bluffed Al Can't Hang out of a pot (we both had Q-10) with a Q on the board and I was betting out fairly strong. I also hopped on a micro limit table to play with Young Poker. He told me about one particular guy at his table who was staying in with crapola. Never did get a crack at him. Realized that I haven't played much limit these days. But I definitely chased a few nut flush draws, since it was costing me next to nothing to see one more card.

Making the Money in a Multi SNG

After dinner, I decided to play in one of those multi-table SNGs, part of the new upgrade to their software. I played a three table $30 + 3 SNG. Top 5 places get paid ($270, 235, 180, 135, 90)... so it was worth me giving it a shot.

Level 1 - 5: Tight Pauly. It was a fold-a-thon. Reading the Wall Street Journal was more exciting than playing my hands. I folded 3-3 in LP and would have flopped a set and the winning hand. I was holding on with T770 and half the pack remained with an average stack of T1875.

Level 6: Chipped down to next to nothing, playing short handed, seven players at my table. A2s UTG and I went all-in. Doubled up against K9s. In the LB the clown n the button went all-in. He was the table mosquito, the annoying nimrod who went all-in almost every time. One guy from Wellington kept pleading with the other players at the table to call his obviously bluff-steals. I decided any ace or pair, I'm going to call the clown... and I did with A6s vs his K-10o. No contest and I doubled up amid the cheers from the other frustrated players at my table. Pocket Cowboys on the button in the next hand was enough for me to build my stack from T545 up to T2650.

Level 7: A9s and KK got me a few more chips and I went over T3200 for the first time, as I made the Final Table. I was 5th out of 9th. Time to tighten up, eh? I slid my way into the final 5 and made the money when one guy got wicked hot and caught cards like crazy and knocked out four guys. We still had one guy who was trying to steal the blinds too much. Again, I was waiting to get a hand and double up against him. He went all-in on the button and I called with A-10. His 44 was winning on the flop, but I hit an ace on the turn. He won when a fourth heart fell on the river (he had the 4h). River'd and knocked out in 4th. I collected $135 or a $102 profit. Not too shabby.

Nothing's better than making the money in one of your first SNGs. I played tight and let a lot of idiots knock themselves out early, waited to double up ad surfed into the money. I'll play one or two of these a week in the future. Not a bad format. The levels are 10 minutes instead of 15 minuntes. You get a break every hour.